It was afternoon, and the sun was scorching hot.
Even the Xingjun Force, known for its rigorous and relentless training, had no one on its training grounds at high noon.
However, a frail, petite young girl was there. With a cry of "Hiyah!", her small body unleashed astonishing strength, her fist, accompanied by a whistling wind, accurately striking a wooden post bathed in sunlight.
A hint of ferocity was etched on the girl's delicate face; each elbow strike, knee thrust, and chokehold was as swift and lethal as a leopard hunting its prey, leaving only dazzling afterimages in the air.
Sweat, like tiny pearls, gathered on her forehead, eventually rolling down and refracting colorful light in the sun.
Not far away, in the shade of a tree, a boy who seemed a few years older than her leaned leisurely against the trunk, a cup of barley tea in his hand.
"Take a break!"
The boy's call received no response; only an even fiercer gust of wind from her punches answered him.
"Take a break!"
Still, the whistling of punches.
The boy simply sat down. A teapot and pastries lay on a napkin spread on the ground.
His eyes darted around, then he spoke, "If you keep this up, I won't like you anymore!"
Sure enough, the sound of punches abruptly ceased.
The girl stood in the sunlight, her brow furrowed and fine beads of sweat on her face, looking down at the boy in the shade.
"Come sit down and have some water."
The boy acted as if he hadn't heard. The girl paused, seemingly at a loss for what to do with him, and sat down as instructed.
The boy took a towel and reached out to wipe the sweat from her face.
"You, you!" Her fringe became even more disheveled from the damp towel.
"What about me? I'm doing great."
The girl lifted her head, her voice suddenly turning cold: "This is the Xingjun Force's training ground. Unauthorized personnel are forbidden."
This coldness didn't last long. Seeing no response from the other side, she ultimately couldn't resist her inner curiosity and secretly glanced at the figure in the shade of the tree.
She met the boy's gentle yet warm gaze.
The girl's cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She hastily turned her head away, no longer paying attention to the boy's words, but her bright eyes secretly continued to observe him through her peripheral vision.
"Hō, I actually came here to tell you that I'm going to the Shino Academy tomorrow." The boy's tone became serious. "For a while, it might not be convenient for me to come see you."
Upon hearing this, the girl called Hō revealed an unprecedented look of panic.
She suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief: "You… you've been expelled?"
"No, nothing like that. Don't worry." The boy quickly waved his hand with a smile, trying to soothe Hō's emotions. "It's Vice-Captain Oomemade's arrangement. He wants me to find a proper job to support the household."
She was silent for a moment, then spoke coldly: "That's good then. Don't come here anymore."
Hō paused, then stood up and ran towards the squad quarters.
Mid-run, she suddenly stopped, not turning back, but speaking in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "Tomorrow… I'll see you off!"
With that, she didn't linger, disappearing like a gentle breeze behind the dense woods.
The boy smiled and softly said, "Vice-Captain Oomemade, peeking isn't a good habit, you know."
A burly man with a pompadour and a gold chain suddenly appeared, radiating a sense of oppression. His massive frame blocked the sunlight pouring down from above.
He was Lieutenant Ōmaeda Marechiyo of the Second Division, Captain of the Onmitsukidō's Second Squad Patrol Corps.
His power was almost equal to his weight, and he was a truly formidable individual, known throughout the Gotei (Court Guard) Thirteen Court Guard Squads for his Shunpo, Kido, and wealth.
"Shimizu Sei! You brat, flirting with young girls again! Is this the Hō family's child?"
"Yes, she just joined the Xing Jun. She's the only one left in her family, so I hope Lord Ōmaeda will take good care of her."
"I'm starting to think that Lady Yoruichi's refusal of your marriage proposal was the correct choice."
Ōmaeda Marechiyo sighed and plopped down, his massive body instantly nudging the boy aside.
"But weren't you the one who introduced me to marry into the Shihōin Clan?"
"Before your father kicked the bucket, he entrusted you to me. As an old friend, shouldn't I find a good home for his son?"
Marechiyo suddenly grew angry, reaching out his large hand to ruffle Shimizu Sei's head, "You're a fallen minor noble, living from hand to mouth. To be able to marry into the Shihōin Clan is a blessing you've accumulated over eighteen lifetimes!"
"I, a fine young man, marrying into a family? Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river…"
Shimizu Sei mumbled incomprehensible words, then indignantly continued: "What a prime time! Ten years! I stayed in the Xing Jun for ten years, just to wait for that woman…"
Feeling Marechiyo's furious gaze, he quickly corrected himself, "—just to wait for Lady Yoruichi to confirm the engagement so I could refuse it. But she heard about a marriage arrangement and just slipped away to the Human World! Ten years! Lord Ōmaeda, do you know how I've spent these ten years?"
"Well, you seem to have spent them quite well, haven't you? Flirting with young girls and enjoying the most luxurious service." Marechiyo felt a little guilty.
"Yes! Every day I was taught noble etiquette by a bunch of old fogeys, and everywhere I went, I could feel those eyes that held both respect and disdain. It wasn't easy for me! I was an engaged man for ten years, and I finally looked forward to that wretched… Lady Yoruichi returning, ready to break off the engagement and slap her in the face. But I didn't even get to see her; instead, I received a letter of annulment first. Who's more miserable than me?!"
The boy shed tears and snot, clearly an excellent actor.
However, Marechiyo had a thorough understanding of this child he had watched grow up since childhood, so he immediately changed the subject, "Alright, what is it this time? Aren't you supposed to report to the Shino Academy tomorrow?"
"I need some funds from you." The tears and snot instantly vanished, and the boy raised his clean face, looking sincerely at Marechiyo.
"Didn't the Shihōin Clan compensate you? Is that not enough? You're getting a bit greedy, kid!"
Shimizu Sei exploded in anger, his face full of righteousness, "What kind of person am I? Could I possibly accept those paltry scraps of charity?"
Ōmaeda Marechiyo suddenly chuckled; this was also what he liked about the boy.
Sigh, Lady Yoruichi was too hasty. Why didn't she just meet him?
He believed that if she had just met him once, Lady Yoruichi would definitely have liked this boy.
He was handsome, his Ability were decent, and he had a good personality. Crucially, his parents were deceased, and besides his tendency to flirt, he was practically the perfect candidate for marrying into a family!
When he initially thought of having this boy marry into the family, it was partly because he couldn't resist an old friend's dying wish to find his son a good home, and partly because Lady Yoruichi was too mischievous. He thought that marriage would likely help her better shoulder her family responsibilities.
The elders had also been trying to arrange the young mistress's marriage, and rather than finding those with ill intentions, it was better to introduce this child he had watched grow up.
After an investigation, the elders found that the boy had a clean background and seemed easily controllable.
Since everyone was arguing endlessly over candidates, this boy recommended by Ōmaeda didn't belong to anyone's faction. After some negotiations, they finally agreed.
But unexpectedly, Yoruichi heard about the engagement and immediately fled to the Human World, making her difficult to catch.
"With money, you can travel anywhere; without it, you can't take a single step. You, a rich man, don't know the hunger of a poor one! Besides, with your status, your magnificent physique! You're rolling in money; just a little bit from you would be enough for me for half a year or a year."
Ōmaeda grew even angrier. He wouldn't allow anyone to question his wealth. "My status, just a little bit from me is enough for you for half a year or a year?"
Shimizu Sei immediately corrected himself, "It'd be more than enough for a hundred years!"
"That's more like it."
Only then did Ōmaeda nod in satisfaction, unfastening a bulging money pouch from behind his belt and tossing it over. "Be frugal; it's enough for you for ten lifetimes!"
Shimizu Sei took the money and immediately stood up to say goodbye.
Ōmaeda shouted at the boy's back, bathed in sunlight: "If it's not enough, come get more. Don't follow in your father's footsteps! If you go down a crooked path, I won't forgive you!"
Shimizu Sei didn't turn back, merely waving his right hand in the air to indicate he had heard.